Acceptance and Tolerance are two scarce things in the modern world, irrespective of your location. Every new week brings novel stories to the fore, and Amazon Prime Video is no stranger to presenting the best ones.
A new Indian film, Maja Ma, has made its way to the streaming platform, promoted as a festive release. The movie is a family drama highlighting the importance of acceptance, self-realization, and truthfulness. Furthermore, Maja Ma is based on the premise of homosexuality in the Indian context.
Are you planning to watch this Hindi drama on Amazon Prime Video? Here’s my Maja Ma review to help you through.
Maja Ma Review Summary
A lot of takeaways await you in this Madhuri Dixit starrer. Maja Ma is a film that delivers a social message without sounding obvious. However, there are a few setbacks as well.
Keep reading my Maja Ma review to find out more.
Maja Ma Synopsis
Tejas is nervous about his marriage with Esha because her Indo-American family is hard to impress. When he finally checks their list of perfection, they decide to visit his traditional home in Gujarat. However, a massive secret awaits everyone, hidden by his mother for decades.
Will a mother’s past cloud her child’s present and jeopardize his future?
Directed by Anand Tiwari, Maja Ma stars Madhuri Dixit (Pallavi), Gajraj Rao (Manohar), Ritwik Bhowmik (Tejas), Barkha Singh (Esha), Srishti Shrivastava (Tara), Rajit Kapur (Bob), Sheeba Chadha (Pam), and Simone Singh (Kanchan) in lead roles.
What Works for Maja Ma?
Concept
I will emphasize honesty at this point to highlight the novelty of Maja Ma’s conceptual base. Though the execution has many cliches, the film does bring a new and unexpected idea to the table. Homosexual movies are mostly about youngsters and their struggle to come out. However, Maja Ma takes a different approach and tells the story from another perspective.
Decent Storyline
It would be wrong to call it a masterclass, but Maja Ma manages to produce a tolerable storyline, enough to grip you inconsistently. And that’s what was precisely needed to go along with the idea. I felt the makers tried to infuse a massy touch to a fragile concept that is doubtful of finding acceptance among most Indians.
Heartwarming and Emotional
Maja Ma warms your heart on several occasions. It brings a smile and mesmerizes you despite the serious topic it promulgates. The family relations and short conversations among the characters add to the pleasing atmosphere. Furthermore, the reverse chemistry between Gajraj Rao and Madhuri Dixit feels gladdening.
Emotional aspects of Maja Ma are also quite mixed but mostly, thanks to the conceptual base, you are involved in the movie with feelings.
Social Message
As I have mentioned earlier, Maja Ma is a story of acceptance arising out of social prejudice. The film perfectly conveys how we forget our parents had a life before we were born, how they have an equal right to identify themselves, and, most importantly, their sexual preferences are not our concern.
Maja Ma puts importance on a critical female character and questions the traditional system of two major sexes. Does the LGBTQ+ community not deserve respect and acceptance? How should we behave when someone tries to come out? Do we fear our authority over another being if they are distinct from us?
Performances
Undoubtedly, Madhuri Dixit is the life of Maja Ma. Her aura is simply superb, and when combined with her striking screen presence, Madhuri’s act becomes more swoon-worthy. I last saw her in The Fame Game, and it feels like she is as fresh as in her first film. Madhur Dixit is mainly remembered for her dance moves, but it is also vital to talk about her acting abilities.
She enters Maja Ma as a regular housewife but grows immensely to become a pivotal central character. Her expressions are detailed, and her anxious intonations are ideal for the swelling scenes in Maja Ma.
Gajraj Rao infuses natural humor in a film that doesn’t have much scope for healthy sarcasm. The actor aces the accent, nourishes his facial expressions and delights you with his characteristic walking style. There’s always more to the scene when Rao is at the helm of things. His funny side is bewitching to witness in Maja Ma.
Ritwik Bhowmik plays Tejas in the film and outshines his previous outing in Modern Love: Mumbai. He intricately puts together different shades to build an affable yet dubious demeanor. Initially, Ritwik is calm and composed, but as the story progresses, he allows the actor in him to transform for the better.
Barkha Singh does an excellent job in Maja Ma. She portrays Esha, an Indian-American with a strange accent. I doubt if the audience will like her dialogue delivery in the movie, but she gives her best. There’s a whole lot of improvement if you compare Barkha with her previous films.
Srishti Shrivastava lands a punch in Maja Ma as Tara. She is the crusader for equal rights for LGBTQ+ and delivers a satisfying performance. Out of everything, I specifically liked her intense body language.
The evergreen Sheeba Chadha continues to sparkle with a powerful depiction. She is smart, sweet, and bold, all at the same time while acting. The veteran actress adds life to Pam’s personality with her hold on the dialect and emotions. Be it the American accent, Hindi, or the loud Punjabi intonations towards the end, Chadha never disappoints.
Rajit Kapur and Simone Singh further amp the vibes in Maja Ma. Both of them carry their sets of deliverables and come good with the eventual product.
What Doesn’t Work for Maja Ma?
Peculiar Accents
Not many of you would like the unusual elocutions in Maja Ma. Though Rajit Kapur and Sheeba Chadha sail through the madly written lines, it is Barkha Dutt who sometimes falls prey. The inflections are not intolerable; however, you will need time to adjust.
Unfunny Puns
Barring Gajraj Rao and Sheeba Chadha, no other actor could add fun to the party in Maja Ma. Interestingly, they all try, but the results are not as good.
Final Word
Maja Ma is a great attempt, and I suggest you watch it, despite some of its drawbacks as mentioned above. More important is that films around homosexuality are being made consistently in India and Madhuri Dixit’s presence will amplify the reach.
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